yeah it’s crazy to me considering Paris is such a great city and to just visit for a few hours is just rediculous in my book…why not just wait until you have more time to enjoy?

nonetheless, I guess it could be done…get the earliest train out of London and be in Paris by 9:00 or so, and then get the last train out of Paris(around 8:00) and retrun to London in the late evening…I guess that would give you time to check out a couple of sights…also, don’t forget to adjust your watch to Paris time – otherwise you will end up with a night in Paris when you arrive an hour late for the train (which I would recommend anyways)

check out train times…

http://www.eurostar.com/dctm/jsp/index.jsp

It’s certainly doable, but the train ride is 3 hours each way (time change makes it look like 2 hours one way and 4 hours the other), and Gare du Nord isn’t exactly next to the Eiffel tower, so it’s not my idea of a pleasant day trip.

Personally, I would not buy a package unless it ended up being signifcantly cheaper than what I could arrange on my own.

A lot depends on WHEN you want to go — early morning and late evening trains and Friday, weekend and Monday are the most popular on Eurostar, so it may not be possible to find reasonably priced tickets for the times/dates you want. (That’s where a package might save money.) Check www.eurostar.com for schedules and prices to try to arrange you own &quotackage."

What the hell, why not? I surprised my wife with a day trip to Paris from Brussels. We arrived about 9-10am, took a taxi to the Eiffel tower, walked from there up to the Arc De Triomphe, then down the Champs-Elysees to Notre Dame, wandering around at various points in between. We took the train back out at about 11pm. Hey, going for a day is better than not going at all, and you only live once.

If all you care about is the sights of Paris then it’s a great idea.

Hotels in paris are pretty cheap, and evening out would be nice surely.

It’s do-able, but pretty crazy. My friends and I did it recently on the Eurostar and although we enjoyed ourselves, it was pretty knackering. I’d not do it on the bus or regular train.

If you can afford the time and money, I’d say go for an overnighter. If a day trip is your only option, at least go Eurostar.

My brother did the same thing as clunker – a day trip from Brussels, and they loved it.

Over your whole life, you’ll probably have many more trips, so they will layer on your memories like a sandwich. Don’t be afraid to buck the trends and spend a whole month in one little village OR one month seeing 15 different cities as long as you keep some perspective.

Good luck!
N…

quote:Over your whole life, you’ll probably have many more trips, so they will layer on your memories like a sandwich. Don’t be afraid to buck the trends and spend a whole month in one little village OR one month seeing 15 different cities as long as you keep some perspective.

Well put.

I think you should do it! The train ride is a fast three hours (plus the time change, as others have mentioned). I’d start at Notre Dame and walk from there through the Latin Quartier neighborhood and along the River Seine to the Eiffel Tower. If you have still have time, make your way north (again, it’s walkable) to the Arc de Triomphe and check out the view from the top (it’s better than from atop the Eiffel Tower, IMHO).

Get the earliest train to Paris that you can, and be sure to arrive at the station at least 30 minutes in advance.

quote:
make your way north (again, it’s walkable) to the Arc de Triomphe and check out the view from the top (it’s better than from atop the Eiffel Tower, IMHO).

Very true. An even better view is from the top of the Samaritaine department store – and it’s free!

I went on a one-day trip to Paris once and thought it was a waste of time and money. It was like getting this great meal cooked for you and presented to you, and then you’re only allowed to snif the lovely scents of the food, not touch it.

totally agree with dark angel…Paris deserves more than an afternoon. just my opinion.

quote:Paris deserves more than an afternoon

Of course it does…however, being there briefly is better than not at all.

Skip the tour and get yourself a metro map. Hotels in Paris are not cheap (even campsites in Paris aren’t very cheap), but then neither are hotels in London, or the train for that matter. But if you don’t mind only getting a glimpse of Paris (personally I wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time there anyway) and have money to spare, why not?

Thanks Clunker.

My first trip to Paris was a daytrip – I saw the Louvre and walked around a bit.

My next trip was an overnight that included the Eiffel Tower, fine dining, and "all that".

My next trip was a multi-day trip that included lots of walking around.

My last trip was a day trip with pokes at some of the main sights.

While I totally agree with Dark Angel that few cities in the world are as attractive and complex like Paris (I’ll open that one up to the field) and deserves at least several days to enjoy and several weeks to appreciate, but I’d rather have a few hours to taste the wine if I can’t have days to savour it. Besides, with any luck, you’ll see all these places again in your life, and the next time you go, you’ll be remarking "gee, remember when we say x and y"?

Have fun!!
N…

quote:
Skip the tour and get yourself a metro map.

If you’re only going for a day I’d say spend as little time in the metro as possible. It’s smelly, old, crowded – there are much nicer places in Paris!

You can do what we did when we went on a day trip from London recently:

- Arrived at the Gare du Nord
– Took RER to Arc de Triomphe
– Wondered around, took photos, had lunch at one of the brasseries (yummie onion soup, or steak tartare if you’re so inclined)
– Walked along the Champs Elysees, stopping at shops along the way (fnac etc.)
– Walked towards the Louvre, looked at sights
– Stopped for hot chocolate at Lenotre Cafe & Restaurant (yum)
– Walked through the Tuilleries gardens to the Louvre
– Walked to the Samaritaine department store, climbed to the rooftop restaurant & took lots of photos (the views are fab)
– Walked to the Notre Dame
– Took metro back to Gare du Nord

I’d been to Paris several times before, but it was the first time for my friends and they seemed to enjoy themselves.